


You Read My Mind

by rories



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Psychic Abilities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-17
Updated: 2012-02-16
Packaged: 2017-10-31 07:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/341628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rories/pseuds/rories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mike feels like he's losing his mind and Harvey is there to pick up the pieces.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [this](http://suits-meme.livejournal.com/1484.html?thread=1159628#t1159628) prompt on the Suits meme. 
> 
> italicssmash is thoughts.

It starts with a stabbing headache that hits right after lunch. Mike brushes it off because really, he’s used to the headaches and the hunger pains and the lack of sleep by now. His hours and workload mean he doesn’t sleep or eat like a normal person anymore. So really, he chocks up the headache to a lack of caffeine, throws back a Red Bull, and finishes the briefs for the Mendez case an hour before Harvey wanted them.   
  
He decidedly ignores Kyle’s comment about Mike being Harvey’s sub as he walks past the associate’s cubicle on his way to Harvey’s office.  
  
Though he is rather surprised at Kyle’s extensive vocabulary about the subject.  
  
By six o’clock, the headache has moved from behind his eyes to the back of his skull and down his neck. At this point, even Harvey has noticed something is off with is associate and sends him home with less work than he normally would.  
  
Mike jumps at the opportunity and pedals home, iPod buds jammed in his ears to block out the sounds of the city.  
  
If he’d paid any attention, he would have noticed the sounds of the city growing louder and louder.  
  
\-----  
  
When he wakes up in the morning, Mike feels perfectly fine, refreshed even, and almost eager to take on the day. He showers and shaves and actually manages to eat breakfast and tries to read the paper between glaring at the shared wall where he can hear his neighbors talk way too loudly for this early in the morning.   
  
He feels the headache start to come back halfway through his morning commute but he blames it on smog and, like, general New York-ness because he’s always felt like the city was just this overwhelming presence resting on him.   
  
He snags a Tylenol from Rachel as soon as he gets to work and takes it with the coffee he’d picked up outside. It tastes like shit, but you win some you lose some.  
  
He stops to talk to Donna for a moment. It’s early enough that not a lot of people are at the office yet, so he uses the time to catch up with the assistant. He tries to ignore the buzzing in the back of his mind and tells Donna he’s fine when she’s asks if he’s feeling okay. He doesn’t wince at all when he laughs at her brisk “Just don’t puke on my desk, rookie” and a pain shoots behind his left eye.   
  
He doesn’t see Donna’s confused look when he repeats that he’s okay to her muffled  _helookssotired_ . 

\-----  

He keeps his ear buds in all morning because they’re really the only thing keeping out the voices of the other associates. Who apparently are extra chatty this morning.   
  
By lunch he’s pretty much resisting the urge to yell  _SHUTUP_  in the middle of the bullpen because his coworkers are really starting to grate.   
  
He studiously ignores Louis when the partner drops off a stack of files, even when the older man mutters something about his uselessness and general inability to focus on even the simplest of tasks. And is he humming “In the Hall of the Mountain King?”  
  
\-----   
  
Harvey finds him hunched over a stack of folders and the Senior Partner can hear the music blaring from the kid’s iPod before he’s all the way to his desk. He tugs a bud out of Mike’s ear and smirks when the kid jumps. It’s the little things in life, really.  
  
Except all pleasure he’d gotten from startling his associate is completely drained when he sees Mike’s face. His eyes are red and the bags under his eyes seem to be growing darker even as Harvey looks at him. “Jesus, kid,” he says, leaning down to look his associate in the eye.  
  
He does not miss at all the way Mike winces as the noise in the office swells now that he’s only got one ear bud in. Mike slams his eyes shut and _wheredidIputthatpenisthatreallyhowagirlwhycan’tIeverrememberwhereIput_  slaps a hand to his forehead. He tries not to groan but it’s really all he can do right now.  
  
“Jesus, Mike, I thought I sent you home yesterday to get some rest,” Harvey says as he rests a hand on Mike’s shoulder. He does not comment on the fact that Mike unconsciously moves into his touch.   
  
“I did, I – I’m fine, I just,” and he can’t seem to get full sentences out so he does that only thing he can think of. He shoves the ear bud back in his ear, stands up, and practically runs out of the office.  
  
\-----   
  
Harvey lets him take the day, texting him to get some rest for real this time, and goes back to his office to do some research.  
  
\-----   
  
Mike locks himself in his apartment and doesn’t turn off his iPod until he’s practically in the shower. He’s pretty sure he’s going insane, honestly, because the buzzing in his head from this morning has now grown into a loud hum that sounds suspiciously like voices.   
  
But that shit isn’t real and this isn’t X-Men and he is not Charles Xavier (he can’t pull off the bald look). He’s just having some sort of mental break brought on by stress and caffeine. This is just a thing that he’ll get over, he just needs to get some sleep.  
  
He stays in the shower until the water runs cold and he barely runs a towel over his body before he’s launching himself into his bed and covering his head with a pillow.  
  
It takes him close to two hours to fall asleep because all he can hear is the sound of the city streets and the thoughts of eight million people.   
  
\-----

When he wakes up in the morning it’s to five texts from Harvey, three from Rachel, one from Donna, and one, surprisingly, from Louis. And silence. Sweet, merciful silence.   
  
Mike thinks it’s over, that whatever was driving him crazy the day before is done and that he can go back to living a normal life where he doesn’t hear people’s thoughts in his head. He makes breakfast in blessed silence and gets dressed to only the sound of car horns and sirens. He goes to work and is not forced to put in his ear buds. He takes the elevator to his floor and makes small talk with Benjamin who is on his way to another floor.   
  
And then he steps out of the elevator on to his floor and the pain and the sound comes flooding back. He barely has time to catch Harvey’s eye from across the room before his vision goes white and he hits the floor with a thump.  
  
\-----  
  
When he comes to, Mike is lying on Harvey’s soft leather couch and there is a cold, wet cloth covering his face and fingers running through his hair. He decides, in that moment, that he never wants to open his eyes and he would gladly give up everything if it meant he could stay there forever, comfortable and warm.   
  
But then the hands are gone and someone is slowly lifting the cloth and Mike bites back a groan. “Easy, Mike,” a soft voice mutters and the hands are back. “You’re okay,” the voice says again and this time Mike recognizes it at Donna’s. She’s purposely keeping her tone soft and low and she runs her thumb across Mike’s brow.   
  
But Mike can hear the worry in her voice and the buzz in his head is back and  _comeonkidit’stimetowakeupyou’refreakingmeouthereMikecomeonevenHarveyisstartingtoworryandIdon’thavetimetocleanupbothyourmessesand_  
  
“Shh,” Mike mutters and attempts to lay a hand over Donna’s mouth even though he knows that’s not where the noise is coming from. Donna just grabs his weakly flailing hand and sets it back down on the couch and shoots her boss a look from across the room.   
  
Harvey watches from near the windows as Mike struggles to sit up, one hand holding his head and the other shaking as he uses it to push himself up. The younger man still has his eyes clamped shut and really Harvey can’t blame him. He knows what the kid is going through.  
  
“Donna,” Harvey says softly and tries not to grimace when he sees Mike wince at his voice. “Go find some painkillers, please. High dose.” Donna just nods and silently slips out of the room, making sure to close the door softly behind her.   
  
Harvey makes his way to Mike’s side, dropping on to the couch next to his associate. Mike has finally managed to open his eyes, but he’s still squinting at the bright daylight that is streaming through the windows. “Mike.”  
  
Mike grunts and holds a hand up and if this were any other day, Harvey would be reprimanding him. “Take your time,” he whispers, waiting for the younger man to come back to him.  
  
\-----   
  
It takes a few more minutes but finally Mike opens his eyes and looks blearily at Harvey. He looks worse than he did the day before and Harvey can see the toll this is taking on his body. He watches as Mike swallows hard and drops his arms to hang between his legs. “What,” he starts and he has to clear his throat before he can continue. “What is going on, Harvey?”  
  
“I think we should talk about this somewhere else,” Harvey says and Mike looks like the thought of leaving the solitude of the office is the worst possible thing that could ever happen at this moment.  
  
And then Louis walks in.  
  
\-----

Mike wakes up in the back of Harvey’s town car with his ear buds in and a sour taste in his mouth. His head is in Harvey’s lap and things are silent once again so he false back into a doze until the town car slides to a halt.   
  
Harvey leads him into his building, Mike’s head tucked against his neck and one hand covering his ear. Mike whimpers when the doorman says hello but says nothing on the way up to Harvey’s apartment.  
  
It’s only when Harvey gets Mike in the front door and onto the couch that Harvey looks at him. “Jesus Christ, Mike,” he mutters and grabs for his handkerchief. He holds it against the younger man’s nose and brings his other hand up to wrap around Mike’s head when he jerks away.   
  
Harvey internally berates himself for not having recognized the signs sooner. The fatigue and the incessant headaches, the bloodshot eyes with dark circles. Now nosebleeds. If Harvey had been paying any attention to his associate, he would have noticed that first and could have done something about it.   
  
Mike manages to hold the handkerchief up to his face on his own, so Harvey takes the opportunity to dig around in his briefcase for the medication Donna had managed to find. He slides the pills into Mike’s hand and pours him a glass of water, helping him tip it back before letting the younger man rest back against Harvey’s chest.   
  
He can tell Mike wants to ask questions, but Harvey just shushes him before he can verbalize them. He strokes his hands through Mike’s hair, calming the associate back into sleep. “Don’t worry,” he whispers into Mike’s hair. “I promise I’ll explain everything.” 


	2. Chapter 2

Mike wakes up before Harvey, slowly and unaware of his surroundings. He stretches his legs, his toes curling inside the shoes he never took off. As he finally realizes where he is, he stiffens when he feels the solid mass of chest below his cheek. Not just under his cheek either. It appears he’s sprawled out on top of Harvey, head tucked under the older man’s chin.   
  
He wants to get up and walk out the door, but as soon as he tries to move, Harvey wakes, heaving a heavy sigh that lifts Mike slightly before settling him. Mike makes to scramble off his boss, but Harvey sets a hand in the middle of Mike’s back and he freezes.   
  
 _It’s alright, Mike,_  he hears and the headache from the previous days slams into him once more. Mike lets his head fall back to Harvey’s chest and brings a hand up to press against his forehead. “It’s alright, Mike,” Harvey says, out loud this time, and it’s almost better than before. He starts to sit them up, hand tight on Mike’s back, going slow, and Mike takes comfort in the small motions Harvey’s hands are making along his spine.  
  
When they’re up and finally separated, save for the ever present weight of Harvey’s palm, Mike let’s his head fall into his hands. Harvey’s hand travels up Mike’s back to rest on the nape of his neck, thumb pressing gently into the muscle there and Mike relaxes minutely.   
  
“I don’t,” Mike starts but has to stop and clear his throat. He starts again. “I don’t understand.” He scrubs a hand across his face and he feels his throat tighten up. “What’s happening to me, Harvey?”  
  
Harvey’s heart breaks for the younger man next to him. He remembers the feeling of utter confusion and despair that he’d gone through years ago when his signs first started. Had it not been for Donna, Harvey’s not sure he’d have made it.  
  
And now it’s his turn to provide some guidance. He hasn’t been the greatest mentor at work, but he can sure as hell walk Mike through this next phase in his life.   
  
Harvey shifts to sit next to Mike before moving to sit on the coffee table in front of his associate. He grabs Mike’s hands and gently tugs them away from the younger man’s face, wincing when he sees Mike’s nose bleeding again.  
  
“You will get through this, Mike,” Harvey says softly, his thumbs rubbing circles on the bones in Mike’s wrists. “It’s going to be really hard, but I’m going to be with you every step of the way.”   
  
“What’s happening to me?” Mike asks again and Harvey takes a deep breath.  
  
“It’s really not that uncommon actually, telepathy. A surprising amount of people have it. Almost half the population at this point.” Harvey lets his hand travel up Mike’s arm to rest on Mike’s neck. “You need to breath, Mike.”  
  
Mike takes an unsteady breath and finally looks Harvey in the eye. “You…?” Mike’s not sure how to ask what he needs to. Harvey’s only mentioned what Mike had known deep down; telepathy is real and Mike has it.  
  
“Yes, I can read minds. No, it’s nothing like the movies. Yes, it will get better.”   
  
“Are you… Can you read it right now?” Mike asks, his voice shaking slightly.   
  
“I can, but I’m not. You learn to turn it off. I can…I can teach you, if you’d like.”  
  
Mike wants to cry. This new power has overwhelmed him, Harvey’s uncharacteristic kindness has worn away his resolve and all he wants to do is bury his head in his hands again and cry until he falls asleep. Instead, he looks Harvey straight in the eye and takes a deep breath. “Please. Please help me.”

\----- 

It takes a few days and several orders of take-out (and several calls to Jessica to explain what’s happening), but Mike finally learns to control the telepathy. Donna comes by after work a couple of times to help and smacks Mike on the ear when he repeats the things he hears her think.  
  
He learns that not only can he turn off the telepathy, but that he can also control what other telepaths can hear him think. He tries not to think too much about the logistics of everything because it’s still confusing to him.   
  
His lessons take him through the weekend where he spends a majority of the time on Harvey’s couch, popping Advil and watching reruns of Mythbusters when he can’t handle the telepathy any longer. Harvey teaches him how to turn off the sounds of the city and focus on a single voice, how to project a single thought on a person, and how it is not okay to send his fantasies about his boss to said boss while said boss is in the shower.   
  
When Mike finally goes to work on Monday, he spends his free time sending errant thoughts towards Louis whenever the man tried to give him more work.  
  
And when he went back to Harvey’s in the evening? Well, let’s just say some things are better left unsaid. Er, unthought.

 


End file.
